As the old saying goes “There’s always room for ice cream!” And, while the actual origins of ice cream vary – Ancient Persia, Ancient China and Greater Syria among others - summer is the perfect time for everyone to indulge in this delicious, sweet treat right here in the DMV.
Did you know July is National Ice Cream Month? National Ice Cream Month was established by President Reagan in 1984. While you could celebrate all month long – no judgment – we should all make a special effort on the third Sunday this month, which has been designated as National Ice Cream Day. This year’s National Ice Cream Day falls on July 21st. So, do we have your attention yet? Well, if that’s a resounding “Heck yeah!”, let’s check out a few places where we can grab a bowl, cup, or cone of awesomeness that we call ice cream.
The Dairy Godmother: 2310 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria. Specializes in frozen custard, dairy free sorbet, and standard ice cream. They even have two flavors of Puppy Pops so your four-legged bestie can share the joy. https://www.thedairygodmother.com/
Mount Desert Island Ice Cream: 3110 Mount Pleasant Street NW, Floor 1, Washington. Regular and non-dairy options, with some familiar and some custom flavors. This is a small shop with limited seating, so be prepared to take your treat to go. https://www.fearlessflavor.com/
Toby’s Homemade Ice Cream: 510 14th Street S #70, Arlington. Another small but tasty location. They have six regular flavors and a couple of specialty choices. They also have Affogato on the menu, for those who like a bit of caffeine with their treat. https://tobysicecream.com/toby%E2%80%99s-national-landing
Van Leeuwen Ice Cream: 269 19th Street S, Suite 80, Arlington. An artisanal ice cream shop with a selection of old favorites, lots of specials and non-dairy varieties. https://vanleeuwenicecream.com/scoop-shops/
Casa Rosada Artisan Gelato: 111 S. Payne Street, Alexandria. Argentine gelato and sorbet, with flavors that rotate on a day-to-day basis, Casa Rosada also serves Costa Rican coffee and alfajores shortbread cookies. https://www.crgelato.com/#keeping-it-sweet
Try one, try them all, or develop your own list of favorites and hidden ice cream gems. Cheers to you all on your ice cream journey!
For our trivia buffs, a few ice cream facts to ponder as you indulge your sweet tooth:
- 97% of Americans say they either “like” or “love” their ice cream.
- According to the 2023 Census, Americans eat about 4 gallons of ice cream per year.
- There are 12 types of ice cream besides the standard type we all know and love: gelato, kulfi, sherbet, sorbet, frozen yogurt, soft serve, Philadelphia, rolled, snow cream, Italian ice, dondurma and mochi.
- The most popular flavor of ice cream worldwide is vanilla, with chocolate in second place.
- There are over 17,000 ice cream shops in the U.S. alone.
Carmen Mead became a Cameron Station resident late 2023 and has enjoyed meeting neighbors and becoming part of the community. She is a big fan of ice cream and thoroughly enjoyed doing research for this article.
Banner photo sourced from The Little Years blog.
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